Fewer Than 98 000 Examples Were Produced
The Chevrolet Nova did as much for Chevy as any compact car has ever done for its maker, and this article profiles all the Nova models responsible for that success. See more pictures of Chevrolet Novas. The Nova traces its roots to the 1962 model year, when it came to the rescue of a division that had put its compact-car eggs in one fragile basket called the Chevrolet Corvair. The oddly styled Corvair had debuted for 1960, but buyers were already shunning the little rear-engine car -- and more would reject it as its safety woes became public. Into the breach stormed a front-engine compact with conventional good looks, low prices, and a nice array of sedan, hardtop, and convertible body styles. It was called the Chevrolet Chevy II. That name doubled as the label for the new car's entry-level models, while sportier versions proudly wore the Nova badge. Sales of the thrifty four- and six-cylinder cars were strong from the start, and for 1963, Novas could be ordered with Chevy's hot Super Sport package.
By 1968, the Chevy II name had been shed altogether and the entire lineup operated under the Chevrolet Nova banner. That was also the year Chevrolet redesigned its compact car, giving it curvaceous new styling. By 1969, the Corvair was history, Nova was Chevrolet's smallest car, and Nova buyers could order a 375-horsepower 396-cubic-inch V-8 to create a muscle car revered to this day. By the early 1970s, the Chevrolet Vega had slipped in under Nova as Chevy's smallest offering, but the basic 1968 design served Nova well, finally being phased out during the 1979 model year. The Nova name, however, would resurface for Prime Boosts Supplement 1986 on a modern, front-wheel-drive subcompact built in California from a design shared with Toyota. Nova had come a long way, but it always represented sensible value and, occasionally, serious fun, as you'll see in the pages that follow. 1968-1979. This is a 1974 hatchback. Muscle Cars: Look back at tire-smoking Chevys and scores of other machines from the golden age of American high performance.
Sports Cars: Discover the pleasure of sports motoring at its purest in these captivating articles on the best sports cars from around the world. Consumer Guide Automotive: Here's your source for news, reviews, prices, fuel-economy and safety information on today's cars, minivans, SUVs, and pickups. Consumer Guide Used Car Search: In the market for a used Chevy or virtually any other pre-owned vehicle? Check out these reports, which include safety recalls and trouble spots. The 1962 Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova were created around the time Chevrolet executives realized that the Chevrolet Corvair wasn't going to match, much less beat, Ford's Falcon in compact-car sales. Despite its technical innovations, the Corvair simply lacked the kind of universal appeal needed for high-volume production. No, what Chevrolet needed was a new -- but not really different -- type of car, a down-to-basics vehicle to compete in the quickly growing compact league. The rush to production resulted in the boxy in silhouette but adequately pleasing Chevy II -- a sure bet not to offend or fluster anyone.
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Ads lauded the "frisky, family sized Chevy II," aiming to blend "luxury and low price." Three trim levels went on sale: basic 100, mid-range 300, and posher Nova 400, topped by a Sport Coupe and convertible. The lineup also included sedans and station wagons in each series. A Chevy II could have a 90-horsepower, 153-cubic-inch Super-Thrift four-cylinder engine or a 120-horsepower, 194-cubic-inch six (the latter standard on Novas). This was Chevy's first four-cylinder powerplant since 1928. Anyone who didn't want to operate a column-shift three-speed gearbox could select two-speed Powerglide instead. A handful of dealerships even began to install V-8 engines, one of which, cranking out 360 horsepower, delivered a 0-60 dash in 5.2 seconds. Chevrolet executives took note and began to ponder and plan a V-8 for factory installation. No other GM cars shared the integral body/frame construction with a separate front sub-frame. Single-leaf rear springs claimed to eliminate the "inherent harshness" of customary multi-leaf springs. Front bucket seats were available in the two-door Nova 400 -- a harbinger of things to come in the mid-Sixties.
Model-year output totaled some 406,500 cars, including an impressive 23,741 convertibles. 1962 Chevy II line. Muscle Cars: Look back at tire-smoking Chevys and scores of other machines from the golden age of American high performance. Sports Cars: Discover the pleasure of sports motoring at its purest in these captivating articles on the best sports cars from around the world. Consumer Guide Automotive: Here's your source for news, reviews, prices, fuel-economy and safety information on today's cars, minivans, SUVs, and pickups. Consumer Guide Used Car Search: In the market for a used Chevy or virtually any other pre-owned vehicle? Check out these reports, which include safety recalls and trouble spots. The 1963 Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova continued to sell well in their second model year, Check this out giving Chevy the confidence to expand the line. If a Super Sport edition could prove successful on its big cars, Chevy reasoned, why not on the Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova?